The Real Deal New York

Queens contractor dupes homeowner with fake roof work

A rogue contractor allegedly roped a Queens homeowner into paying nearly $2,000 in cash for a bogus roof repair earlier this month.

The contractor, who said he worked for Halliday Painting Roofing Waterproofing, told an elderly woman he’d fix some “major damage” atop her Middle Village home, but instead sprayed parts of the roof with non-waterproof paint, the victim told the New York Daily News.

The rogue roofer also allegedly left the owner with a fake invoice, complete with an address and phone number, claiming the job would be good for seven years.

“The tragic thing is that many homeowners don’t know they’ve been victimized until years down line,” Robert Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association, told the Daily News.

Holden issued a warning on the blog Queenscrap that the scam targets seniors, and especially women. The local leader has also worked against illegal building, reporting absentee landlords and developers who skirt Department of Buildings rules, as previously reported. [NYDN] and [QueensCrap] — Angela Hunt